Hyperthermia, monitoring

HYPERTHERMIA. The nurse monitors the temperature at frequent intervals, usually every 4 hours unless the patient has an elevated temperature. When the patient has an elevated temperature the nurse checks the temperature, pulse, and respirations every hour until the temperature returns to normal and administers an antipyretic if prescribed by the primary care provider. 

The nurse monitors the patient for signs and symptoms of acute salicylate toxicity or salicylism (see Display 17-1). Initial treatment includes induction of emesis or gastric lavage to remove any unabsorbed drug from the stomach. Activated charcoal diminishes salicylate absorption if given within 2 hours of ingestion. Further therapy is supportive (reduce hyperthermia and treat severe convulsions with diazepam). Hemodialysis is effective in removing Hie salicylate but is used only in patients with severe salicylism. 

Children appear to be at an increased risk for zonisamide-associated oligohydrosis and hyperthermia. Closely monitor patients, especially children, treated with zonisamide for evidence of decreased sweating and increased body temperature,... 

The main risk is that of the occurrence of delirium tremens (DT) and its risk of somatic damage by eon-vulsions, aggravated by dehydration. Symptoms of DT include restlessness, heavy sweating, tremor, severe anxiety, delirium, and hyperthermia. It is treated or better still prevented by a calm environment, adequate (but not excessive) hydration, and careful monitoring, with the adjunction of anticonvul-sive/sedative agents, mainly benzodiazepines. The preventive effects of benzodiazepines on withdrawal morbidity has been clearly demonstrated. There do not seem to be major differences between benzodiazepines, such as chlordiazepoxide or diazepam or others. Because of the abuse potential in these highly susceptible patients, these should be rapidly weaned, and proper prevention of relapse instituted. 

J. R. James, Y. Gao, V. C. Soon, S. M. Topper, A. Babsky and N. Bansal, Controlled radiofrequency hyperthermia using an MR scanner and simultaneous monitoring of temperature and therapy response by H, Na and P magnetic resonance spectroscopy in subcutaneously implanted 9L-gliosarcoma. Int.. Hyperthermia, 2010, 26, 79-90. 

Hyperthermia is an important therapeutic tool in the treatment of tumors. Its application does however require a tight control of the temperature, hence the need for contrast agents that would allow its constant monitoring during the entire therapy. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy has already been proposed for measuring the temperature of a sample. Indeed, Aime et al. [101] measured the temperature dependence of the chemical shift of a methyl group of an Yb(III)... 

The middle cerebral artery occlusion model (MCAO) is commonly used in experimental focal cerebral ischemia. This technique causes hypothalamic injury resulting in hyperthermia, worsening outcome and possibly masking neuroprotective effects. Thus, careful temperature monitoring is needed in those preclinical studies. Recently, Gerriets et al. (10) introduced a new MCAO model that involves intraarterial embolizationusing macrospheres. Unlike the traditional MCAO suture model, this macrosphere model does not result in hyperthermia and yet provides reproducible infarcts. 

TRYPTOPHAN ANTICANCER AND IMMUNOMODULATING DRUGS-PROCARBAZINE Risk of hyperreflexia, shivering, hyperventilation, hyperthermia, mania or hypomania, disorientation/confusion Tryptophan is a precursor of a number of neurotransmitters, including serotonin. Procarbazine has MAOI activity, which inhibits the breakdown of neurotransmitters Tryptophan should be started under specialist supervision. Recommended to start with low doses and titrate the dose upwards with close monitoring of mental status and BP... 

No specific antidote is available. The patient must be monitored for seizures gastrointestinal irritation possible liver, kidney, or muscle damage arrhythmias acidosis dyspnea headache coma hyperthermia and hypotension. Gastric lavage and activated char-coal/cathartic are probably more useful decontamination methods. 

No matter which of the preceding methods is used to induce hyperthermia, it is essential to monitor the resulting temperature distributions in the normal and neoplastic tissues continually, and to control the power input and position of the heating source so that the temperatures are maintained in the desired range for optimal time. This type of control can be achieved either manually or automatically and is incorporated in most commercial or in-house-built hyperthermia systems used currently. 

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